HUMBOLDT 鈥� Pride Week is returning to Humboldt, with a wide variety of activities for LGBTQ+ people and their allies.
The celebration runs from Aug. 19 to 24.
Rev. Matteo Carboni, from the Parish of Humboldt for the Anglican Diocese of Saskatoon, is one of the Pride committee organizers.
鈥淣ormally the diversity service is held at one of the churches, usually the Westminster United Church on the Sunday morning,鈥� Carboni said. 鈥淭his year what we鈥檝e decided to do is we should have it in a more public place and not on a Sunday so more people can attend.鈥�
He said by not having it at a church, the service will be visible to more people.
鈥淲e鈥檙e also included a more diverse group of Christians and people at that service.鈥�
Carboni said Pride is an opportunity for community members to come out and meet people they wouldn鈥檛 normally.聽
He hopes people can learn from each other during pride and be able to be comfortable to open up to one another.
鈥淗umboldt is experiencing immigration, it鈥檚 growing. People are moving to the area and one of the great things about Pride Week is that you get to celebrate diversity, part of it specifically talks about LGBTQ diversity, gender and sexual orientation 鈥� but it also gives us a chance to really question, think about diversity in general. What does living as a human in a really close world with other people mean? How do we build a safe community where everyone feels respected?鈥�
Carboni said his congregation has been getting more active in Pride during the recent years.
Pride Week has been around in Humboldt since 2015.
鈥淥ur church, you probably heard from the news, continues to struggle with the relationship of LGBTQ Anglicans and the LGBTQ community. So we have our own denomination, we sometimes have to be a little careful how involved we actually are. But generally, when we were asked in the past to participate, we鈥檝e been more than happy to.鈥�
Rev. Brenda Curtis, with Westminster United Church, said the difficult relationship is true for the United Church as well.
Curtis is another Pride committee organizer.
聽鈥淲e鈥檝e been affirming for 30-some years but we鈥檝e just recently given an apology to the LGBTQ community for the way they鈥檝e been treated over those 30 years,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥淛ust because it鈥檚 a national policy that we鈥檙e affirming, it isn鈥檛 always on the ground in the same way.鈥�
She said that while some churches have an environment where everybody is loved and accepted, that isn鈥檛 always the case.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 another reason we need to stand up, and stand up during Pride time and say, 鈥榯hat鈥檚 not all Christians preaching that kind of hatred and anger.鈥欌��
She said Humboldt Pride is currently expanding with more people getting involved, and that鈥檚 hopeful for her.
鈥淔rom a philosophical standpoint we agree with the pride philosophy and the whole message of diversity and I think Humboldt would really benefit from a Pride Week, and that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e doing it,鈥� Curtis said.
鈥淚 think it just calls us to think about diversity and how we treat our neighbors and our friends and other people in this community. So I think any community would benefit from a Pride Week. So for us, I think it鈥檚 a good thing to do.鈥�
Curtis said despite Humboldt Pride not having a parade yet, she is sure it will in the years to come.
鈥淓ven though I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e right at the place where we can host a parade, because it takes a fair bit of involvement, and manpower and labor and volunteers, but I think we鈥檙e getting closer. Which is really hopeful. Three or four years ago I didn鈥檛 think we鈥檇 ever get this close.鈥�
On Aug. 19, the events start off with a flag raising at City Hall at noon. At 6:30 pm, there is a prayer service at Civic Park.
On Aug. 20, there is a coffee house at Westminster United for youth 18 and under.
On Aug. 22, there is rainbow bowling at Kemway Lanes.
On, Aug. 23 and Aug. 24 there will be a booth at StreetFest for people to come and ask questions. There will also be rainbow baking and a button maker.
